Honouring Our Ancestors: A Feast and Potluck

You are invited to attend the Ancestors Feast and Potluck, an event dedicated to honouring those who came before us.

During the gathering, the four sacred Anishinaabe medicines, tobacco, cedar, sage and sweetgrass, will be available for participants to offer prayers and intentions for their ancestors in whichever combination feels meaningful to them. Facilitator Amy Desjarlais, Waabishkaa Gaagaajiinh Zhaawshko Shkiizhgokwe (White Raven Woman with Turquoise Eyes), will prepare a ceremonial feast plate as an offering to ancestors.

For Indigenous community members, this event offers a chance to deepen connections to traditional ceremonies, with Amy guiding participants through the practice of feasting in a communal setting.

For non-Indigenous community members, this is a chance to gather with Indigenous and non-Indigenous peers in a spirit of learning and respect, as Amy shares insights into Indigenous practices and traditions.

Ancestors Feast and Potluck is hosted by Gdoo-maawnjidimi Mompii Indigenous Student Services, in collaboration with the Indigenous Education Council and Rebirthed Teachings.

Participants are encouraged to bring a favourite dish of an ancestor they are honouring to share with the group. Additional food and refreshments will be provided, creating an opportunity to gather in community, share stories and reflect together.

What is an Ancestors Feast and Potluck?

Ancestors Feasts and Potlucks usually take place in the fall. Indigenous Peoples take time to honour and feast the spirits of their ancestors who have passed away. This reflects the understanding that, much like the physical body, the spiritual body also needs sustenance to do the spiritual work of supporting us.

Guidelines

1. When you arrive, please enter the eastern doorway to the ceremony and travel around the ceremony in the direction you are most comfortable doing so. Visitors may follow the sun or the earth's rotation, moving through the ceremony space either clockwise or counterclockwise. Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee peoples have a longstanding relationship with one another. As such, we honour and respect both ceremonial protocols when gathering in mixed company with other nations.
   
2. Absolutely no drugs or alcohol are permitted while in attendance.
   
3. Photos are permitted; however, please seek guidance from the facilitator beforehand.
   
4. Refrain from touching Elders' and helpers' sacred bundle items (e.g., drums, feathers, etc.) unless invited to do so.

Accessibility

TMU is committed to the accessibility and inclusion of persons with disabilities. If you require any additional accessibility accommodations to ensure your full participation, please email Brian Norton, Program Manager, Gdoo-maawnjidimi Mompii Indigenous Student Services, at bnorton@torontomu.ca.

Questions?

If you have any questions, please email Brian Norton, Program Manager, Gdoo-maawnjidimi Mompii Indigenous Student at bnorton@torontomu.ca.